


Recollection in Full Swing

by ToneofDarkness



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Don’t copy to another site, ESO round 3, Enstars Shipping Olympics, M/M, devil au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 06:09:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20187556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToneofDarkness/pseuds/ToneofDarkness
Summary: ESO Round 3Day 1 prompt: Memories and RecordingsPlus an additional 'A and B playing on the swings at a small playground that nobody goes to anymore'Wish-granting devil Rei and his hyper-capable dark knight Madara come across a relic from when they were children.





	Recollection in Full Swing

**Author's Note:**

> As much as I'd love to use honorifics in this, the setting wouldn't allow for it. I did try to preserve their speech styles as much as I can.
> 
> Believe me, not hearing Rei say 'Mikejima-kun' or Madara say 'Rei-san' is weird.

“Madara…"

A quiet gasp coming from behind him was enough to make the knight stop walking, and turn around. "Yesss?"

Rei was pointing at what looked to be an old run-down playground, with its broken see-saws, a sandbox that now contained trash and all sorts of debris, and the swing set, the merry-go-round and the monkey bars were all covered in rust and grime, and were barely just standing, rotting away with time. It'd definitely seen better days, much better days in perhaps decades ago. "It's still here...I can't believe it."

"Huh, you don't saaay…" Even Madara, who, between the both of them, often visits the world of humans, a world both of them once belonged to, was surprised to see the place still standing. Not that he had any reason to come back and visit the dilapidated playground, not when he had his duties to fulfill. It just so happened that he was accompanying Rei on an important business matter that they were even in the area that afternoon. "Rei? Where are you going...?"

Despite Madara's cautious question, Rei was already approaching the old playground with eager steps, his expression nostalgic. Unlike Madara, it's now rare for him to visit their former home world, after having taken residence in the land of demons.

Seeing that there’s no stopping Rei from visiting the old playground, Madara followed after him.

* * *

It was a very contrasting sight to see two well-dressed men at the ruined playground---Or, rather, it’d be one if there was anyone else passing by. The surrounding neighborhood, much like the playground, had long been abandoned.

“You’d think a place like this would’ve long been demolished, no?” Rei asked, his question aimed at no one in particular, as he examined each playground equipment closely. “With how fast this world had been advancing…”

“Maybe those guys haven’t found a use for this place yet? Ah, careful nooow; you might get your clothes dirty, Rei.” Madara offered his thoughts to the topic while trying to prevent Rei from getting too close to the rotting equipment by gently steering him aside by the shoulders, but Rei simply chuckled in response.

“Come now; a little grime upon my clothing won’t hurt me! It’s unlike watching a soul becoming tainted right before your very eyes~” A wry laugh accompanied that reply, one that Madara had no response to. Rei reached up to offer a light pat to his knight’s hand on his shoulder. “Worry not; I’ll help with the laundry once we’ve returned home.”

“Eeehh, you know I’ve no problems doing the housework all by myself! I'm just sayiiing~" Madara held Rei's hand into his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You just rest up, and take it easy; leave everything to me~"

"Madara…" Rei began, but chose not to continue; it'd be the start of another endless debate. Instead, he turned his attention to the rusted swing set. It turned out that it still had both of its seats attached to the metal frame with rusted chains. "Say, do you still remember how we used to play with the swing when we were children?"

"Hmm…" Madara pursed his lips from side to side in recollection. It's been ages, he could hardly recall all the finer details. "I guess~?" he teased. "I was running around most of the time, you knooow!"

"Oh, you're terrible!" Rei remarked, but he didn't mean anything malicious about it. "It was an important memory to me!" He approached the swings, gesturing at the one at his right. "Look, look...I'd sit here, and you'd take the other seat. Oftentimes we'd just talk about everything that came to mind that day, but sometimes we'd just idly swing back and forth, admiring the sky. Do you remember now?"

It's amazing that Rei could still remember such details, Madara felt a bit guilty for forgetting. But, with what had happened to the both of them in the past, he'd had too much on his mind. "It's...coming back…" he replied, using Rei's childhood memories to try and awaken his own that he'd hidden away to avoid having them tarnished.

Simply looking at Madara’s strained, hesitant expression told Rei what he was thinking, which in turn made Rei feel guilt. In his excitement to see a place from their shared childhood again, he’d forgotten what Madara would feel about it. “Ah, I’m sorry...Would you rather we not talk about it?” he asked, concerned.

“No, no, it’s fine; I’m fine, Rei~” Madara assured him with a big smile before pushing the chains of the swing he’d usually occupy with his finger...A rusty creak grated in his ears in return as the chains barely budged. “Wish I could say the same about these! Ahahaha~”

It was painful to see an important part of his childhood rot away with time; Rei’s gaze was planted upon the rusted swing set, his expression pensive as he studied it.

His lack of response caught Madara’s attention. “Rei? What’s up…?” Seeing Rei look so deep in thought usually meant it’s something Madara would be doubly worried about.

“Ahh...I was wondering if it’s possible,” Rei picked at the chains of the other swing, “to restore these to working condition again.”

_He knew it._ “Rei…” Madara shook his head in disapproval. “Look at it; the frame looks like it’d crumble to dust if we sat on it! It’s not worth iiit!”

“But…”

Was Rei seriously thinking about spending his energy on repairing that piece of junk? Madara could understand what he was trying to do, but with his condition… “If you really want a swing, I can build one in the garden for yooouuu!”

“Well, yes you could, but,” Rei was now looking at Madara with the saddest puppy dog eyes, “it wouldn’t be _this_ swing set…”

Even if it wasn’t the first time he’d seen them, Madara could feel his heart sink at the sight of those sad puppy dog eyes. Worse, Rei’s not even trying to be cute this time; he was simply being blinded by memories of the past. “Reiii…” the knight groaned, finding it to be really difficult to refuse, much less to tear his eyes away from those sad, pleading eyes. “You know you’re not supposed to use your energy for just about aaanything, right?”

Rei stiffened as though he was reminded of one important detail with a battering ram to his head. Madara could only watch as Rei’s shoulders slowly sagged in defeat, a pang stabbing at the knight’s heart. He hated seeing his partner look so dejected, but Rei’s health could possibly become jeopardized from using too much of his energy in one day. Restoring a rotting swing set for the memories it held wasn’t worth losing Rei over.

_All that power at his disposal, and yet…_

“Let’s go home, Rei,” Madara soothed, rubbing circles on Rei’s shoulders from behind to comfort him, “we’ve had a long day.”

Saddened from being denied a wish of his own, Rei could only nod in reply before letting himself be led away from the abandoned playground.

* * *

Three days have passed since then, Rei had come to terms with his own wish being denied despite being able to grant the wishes of others. There were still times when his thoughts would return to that day, wondering what could’ve happened if he was able to restore that old swing set. Would he and Madara be reminiscing on the memories of their childhood by now?

As for Madara, he had taken up a project in the garden, but he’d taken great lengths to hide it from Rei. On top of that, he’d take some time longer to return from the world of humans, and would just smile whenever he’s asked why. Needless to say, it was piquing Rei’s curiosity.

What could Madara be doing?

* * *

A week later.

“Ta-daaa!” Madara announced proudly, pulling the canvas covering off his latest creation in the garden with much dramatic flair. “Surprise, surprise~!!”

Rei blinked his eyes at Madara’s latest construction work; it was an exact replica of the old swing set in that abandoned playground. “Madara…?”

“Hep hep! I know what you’re going to saaay!” Madara had his hand held up in such a knowing way, Rei could only raise an eyebrow at him, silently questioning his motives. “I’m not done with my surprise yet!” He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a golden pocket watch with a bat-winged crest engraved into the cover, which he then presented to Rei. “Open it~☆”

Gently ushered towards the swing set with the pocket watch in his hands, confused thoughts ran through Rei’s mind. What could Madara possibly have in store for him?

Fortunately for his partner, Madara had yet to disappoint him with his ‘little‘ surprises. With that in mind, Rei did as instructed confidently, and popped open the cover of the golden pocket watch...

Upon being opened, the ornately carved hands of the watch began to move backwards, Rei feeling a mass of magical energies being released from within the watch’s mechanisms. He watched as a large cloud of pale mist covered the swing set, before transforming the surrounding scenery. In a second, he and Madara were no longer in the garden, but at the abandoned playground, back when it was at its prime.

Knowing that Rei would have plenty of questions from that magical display, Madara took the initiative to explain. “Ahahaha, I tried to do something about that little problem of yours, Rei. While I did have to ask Natsume for sooome advice...Well, he made that watch while I went and harvested the memories from that old swing...So, iiit’s actually a present from the two of us! Hahaha~☆”

Rei couldn’t believe what he was seeing and hearing. Did Madara go out of his way to grant him his wish? And Natsume? What a reversal of roles! “Madara…” Rei’s voice was full of emotion, trying to hold back his tears, but failing. “You...You shouldn’t have…”

“Eehh? Eeehh?? You didn’t like it??” Madara’s questions were promptly interrupted by Rei throwing himself at him for a hug. “Reiii??”

Shaking his head as he pulled Madara into a big hug, Rei was crying happy tears. “I wasn’t...I wasn’t expecting this at all!” _Never in a million years._ “Thank you…”

With his (and Natsume’s) gift well-received, relief washed over Madara’s worried expression as he returned the hug warmly. “Anything for you, Reiii~” What a sentimental fool he had for a partner, and best friend. “Say, do you remember when I got us those cookies for the first time?”

There were many stories to be recalled, shared with each idle swing.

_ **\--- FIN ---** _


End file.
